What’s the Best Time of Day to …?

When is the best
time to exercise? Eat your biggest meal? Wind down for bed? The answers to
those questions rest largely on you, according to Nessreen
Rizvi, M.D., an internal medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health
System.

The Optimal Time for Healthy Daily Activities

Physicians,
dietitians and health and wellness bloggers all love to share advice on the
best time for daily activities. Some tips are so well known, they’re reflected
in our everyday language (“early to bed, early to rise; an apple a day keeps
the doctor away, etc.) But are these commonly held beliefs backed by science?
Not necessarily.

Here’s Dr. Rizvi’s insight about the best times to … :

Work out: Some experts say morning workouts
are best because you get exercise out of the way. Others say you should reserve
workouts until later in the day. Dr. Rizvi’s advice: Learn what feels right for
you. Starting your day with exercise can have a domino effect, leading you to engage
in healthier activities all day long. “But, if you’re not a morning person,
trying to work out as soon as you roll out of bed may not be the best idea,” she
says.

The best time: The best time to exercise is
when you know you’ll do it — and when you can be consistent. Once your body
and brain adjust to exercising at a particular time of day, it will be easier
to stick with the routine.

Eat meals: Fitness and nutrition experts used to recommend eating within two hours of waking up. Many also suggested making breakfast your biggest meal. Research does indicate that eating a larger breakfast and keeping lunch and dinner on the lighter side can help keep blood sugar levels steady and reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Despite these recommendations, though, some people find restricting eating to a specific 8- or 10-hour window, also called intermittent fasting, helps them keep calories in check and feel more energized. With this type of plan, you might wake up at 6 a.m. and have your first meal at noon.

The best time: “There’s research to support
both approaches,” says Dr. Rizvi. “Ultimately, you have to figure out which
eating pattern works best for you.”

Go to bed: According to the National Sleep Foundation, healthy adults should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleepeach night and most of us are falling short. While there’s no strict time that’s best to turn in, Dr. Rizvi emphasizes the importance of going to bed at an hour that allows you to squeeze in at least 7 hours of shut-eye.

The best time: Your preferred bedtime will likely change throughout your life. Young adults and teens, for example, are physiologically wired to go to bed later and wake up later than middle-aged or elderly people.

Shut down devices: In today’s world, it’s not uncommon to be attached to a smartphone or other device all day long. Unfortunately, being connected 24/7 ups your odds of developing anxiety, depression and “tech neck.” It can also interfere with sleep and lead to distracted driving.

The best time: If you can restrict your
smartphone use to set times, you may discover you’re both calmer and more
productive. Try setting your phone in airplane mode for a few hours each day.
And set a bedtime for your devices each night, ideally one or two hours before your
bedtime.

Meditate: There are solid arguments for meditatingboth morning and night. But if you have a jam-packed schedule, choosing just one 10- to 15-minute block during the day to meditate can work wonders on your psyche. Some people like to meditate before they get out of bed to set an intention that helps the day run more smoothly. Others prefer to meditate just before they turn in to relax their minds and release tension and worries.

The best time: When it fits into your
schedule.

The Best Time for You

While you might hear
about the benefits of working out in the morning, hitting the sack early and
indulging in your biggest meal within an hour or two of waking, there’s little
research to support set times for different activities.

“Every person is different, so what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another,” says Dr. Rizvi, citing people who work midnight shifts, those who have young children and those who are caregivers for loved ones.

The best time to do
anything, whether working out or taking a shower, is when it feels best for
your body.

To find a doctor or therapist at Henry Ford, visit henryford.com or call 1-800-HENRYFORD (436-7936).

A health and wellness blog produced by Henry Ford Health System, and designed to share our knowledge on a variety of topics – from tips on eating healthy, staying fit and reducing stress to advice on chronic disease management and news on medical research and health technology.